Xenotarsonemus brachytegula, Lofego & De Moraes & Ochoa, 2007

Lofego, Antonio C., De Moraes, Gilberto J. & Ochoa, Ronald, 2007, Four new species of Xenotarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 1646 (1), pp. 1-15 : 2-5

Xenotarsonemus brachytegula , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6)

Diagnosis. Females of this new species resemble Xenotarsonemus xiufui Lin, Zhang & Liu (1999) by having a short, narrow and pointed tegula, but differ by having a pair of carinae anterior to the tegula and dorsal setae d, e and h approximately 40% shorter than in X. xiufui .

Adult female (5 specimens measured).

Gnathosoma: capsule subtriangular, length 31 (30–32), maximum width 28 (27–29); dorsal apodeme indistinct. Setae ch 9 (8–10) and vm 7 (6–7), smooth; seta pp not observed. Palpus short, with 2 small subterminal setae and terminal cone-shaped structures. Pharynx fusiform, 17 (16–17) long and 7 (6–8) wide at widest region.

Idiosoma ( Figs. 1 and 2): length 174 (165–180), width at level of c 1 107 (100–113); prodorsal shield covering gnathosoma. Stigma on lateral of prodorsal shield, slightly closer to bases of v 1 than of sc 2. Lengths of the setae: v 1 25, sc 1 16 (15–17), sc 2 32 (30–33), c 1 15 (15–16), c 2 23 (20–25), d 13 (11–15), e 10 (9–11), f 14 (13–15), h 11 (10–13). Setae v 1, sc 2, d, e, f and h serrate, c 1 and c 2 smooth; all setae, except sc 1, setiform; sc 1 capitate and with tiny spines. Distances between dorsal setae: v 1 -v 1 28 (26–29), sc 2 -sc 2 54 (52–56), v 1 -sc 2 21 (20–21), c 1 -c 1 68 (65–69) c 2 -c 2 95 (93–96), c 1 -c 2 36 (34–40), d-d 34 (33–37), f-f 14 (12–16), e-f 23 (23–24), hh 31 (30–32). Seta sc 1 inserted anteriorly to sc 2.

Coxisternal setae 1a 8 (8–9), near middle of apodeme I; 2a 12 (10–13), near middle of apodeme II; 3a 11 (10–12), near anterior end of apodeme III; 3b 9 (8–10), near posterior end of apodeme IV. Apodeme I conspic- uous, fused to anterior end of prosternal apodeme. Apodeme II not fused to prosternal apodeme. Prosternal apodeme conspicuous from junction with apodeme I to level of posterior end of apodeme II, but diffuse from this point to level of sejugal apodeme; conspicuous section with a median node; diffuse section widened. Sejugal apodeme uninterrupted. Apodeme III extending diagonally from base of seta 3a to anterior margin of trochanter III; apodeme IV extending diagonally from the anterior third of the poststernal apodeme to base of seta 3b. Poststernal apodeme bifurcated anteriorly and diffuse in the middle region. Coxistenal plates smooth. Tegula narrow, short and pointed, 8 (7–8) long and 4 (4–5) wide. Two anterior and parallels carinae extending from base of tegula to level of posterior end of trochanter III. All ventral setae smooth.

Legs ( Figs. 3–6 ): lengths (femur to tarsus): leg I 49 (47–50), leg II 45 (44–47), leg III 52 (51–53), leg IV 29 (28–30). Number of setae (solenidia in parentheses) on femur, genu, tibia and tarsus, respectively: leg I: 4- 4-5(2)-8(1), leg II: 3-3-4-5(1), leg III: 1+3-4-5. Tarsal solenidion ω of tibiotarsus I 9 (8–9), cylindrical and elongate, narrow near base. Sensory cluster of tibia I complete, solenidion Φ 1 4 (3–4), slender, capitate; solenidion Φ 2 3, fusiform and robust; famulus k 5 (4–5); Φ 2 is the most proximal and k the most distal element of the cluster. Seta d of tibia I 33 (30–36), serrate. Solenidion ω of tarsus II proximal, 6 (6–7) long, cylindrical and slightly elongate, narrow near base; seta pl´´6 (5–7), spine-like, inserted on the middle of tarsus II. Seta d of tibia II 13 (13–14), serrate. Femorogenu IV 23 (22–23); tibiotarsus IV 6 (6–7). Lengths of setae of leg IV: v´F 11 (10–12), v´G 16 (15–17), v´Ti 32 (30–35) and tc´´43 (40–45); all setae smooth.

Adult male: unknown.

Type material: holotype female and 4 paratype females from Campomanesia pubescens (DC.) (Myrtaceae) , Pirassununga, State of São Paulo, Brazil, 03/ V /2000, A.C. Lofego, all deposited at ESALQ / USP. One paratype female, same collection data as holotype, deposited at USNM. Two paratype females from São José do Rio Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil, R.J. F. Feres, one from Luehea speciosa Willd. (Malvaceae) , 05/ VI / 1992 and the other from Olyra sp.(Poaceae) , 03/VII/1992, both specimens are deposited at DZSJRP.

Etymology: the species name brachytegula refers to the short tegula of females of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 3–6. Xenotarsonemus brachytegula (female). 3, leg I; 3’, sensorial cluster; 4, leg II; 5, leg III; 6, leg IV.